Latest news with #EliSharabi
Arab News
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israeli hostage freed after 491 days asks: Where was the United Nations, the Red Cross, the world?
UNITED NATIONS: Freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, who was beaten, chained and starved while held for 491 days by Hamas, expressed his anger during an appearance at the UN Security Council on Thursday for having to suffer for so long and worry every day about being killed. 'Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?' Sharabi asked. He challenged the UN's most powerful body: 'If you stand for humanity prove it' by bringing home the 59 hostages still in Gaza, many of whom are believed to be dead. The fate of the remaining hostages became more uncertain after Israel on Tuesday ended a six-week break in the fighting that had allowed for the return of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Sharabi said the council talked about the need to get humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, but he saw Hamas militants eating stolen food from dozens of boxes marked with UN emblems while the hostages starved. They were given maybe a piece of pita and a sip of tea a day, and an occasional dry date, he said. When he was released on Feb. 8, Sharabi said he weighed 44 kilos (about 97 pounds) — less than the weight of his youngest daughter, who was killed along with his wife and older daughter in Hamas' surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, along with about 1,200 others. He was among 251 people taken hostage. The United States in November vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza because it was not linked to an immediate release of the hostages. The Palestinians and their supporters then went to the 193-member General Assembly, which adopted a resolution in December demanding a ceasefire and reiterating its demand for the release of the hostages. Unlike Security Council resolutions, though, those passed by the General Assembly are nonbinding. The ceasefire that went into effect in January was shattered on Tuesday with surprise airstrikes on Gaza that killed more than 400 Palestinians, one of the highest death tolls in the nearly 18-month war. Gaza's Health Ministry said most victims were women and children. Sharabi's appearance before the council, the second by a freed hostage, followed an Israeli request last week for a meeting on the plight of the hostages. Britain's deputy ambassador James Kariuki called Sharabi's suffering 'beyond the imagination' and said 'Hamas must be held accountable for their despicable actions.' But Kariuki also said the UK condemns Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's 'warning of the total destruction of Gaza.' Britain calls for the rapid resurgence of aid to Gaza, an investigation into allegations of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces, and an urgent return to the ceasefire deal, he said. France's new UN ambassador, Jérôme Bonnafont, expressed his country's deepest condolences to Sharabi but also condemned the resumption of Israel's bombing, saying it will not ensure the release of hostages, and demanded an end to Israel's humanitarian blockade of Gaza. Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the council, 'Our hearts were filled with sorrow as we listened to the tragic story of Mr. Eli Sharabi,' adding 'such brutality can have no justification.' Polyansky criticized Israel's leaders for not moving to phase 2 of the ceasefire deal, which calls for the release of all hostages and a permanent end to the fighting. He said it's difficult to discuss the future when Israel's military and political leaders appear to have made the choice in favor of war. Algeria's UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama, representing the Arab world on the council, called Sharabi a 'representative of civil society,' and said 'no civilian, irrespective of their background, should endure suffering.' He then accused Israel of 'cherry-picking' international law. He pointed to Israel's ban on humanitarian aid, fuel and electricity entering Gaza since March 2, its killing of civilians, and the cutoff of the International Committee of the Red Cross' access to over 9,500 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons since Oct. 7. After all council members spoke, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, sent 'our condolences' to Sharabi over the killing of his loved ones and his prolonged captivity. He said Palestinians 'understand this pain because we live it.' Sharabi made no mention of Israeli actions, except to say that on the morning of Oct. 7, when he heard that militants were inside Kibbutz Be'eri where he lived, he reassured his wife not to worry: 'The army will come, they always come.' That morning, they never came. He told the council he came to speak for 24-year-old Alon Ohel, a fellow hostage whom he left behind in the tunnel, and all others, including his older brother, Yossi, who was killed but whose body remains in Gaza. 'Bring them all home. Now!' Sharabi said.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Freed Israeli hostage tells UN, 'No more excuses,' says aid is feeding terrorists
UNITED NATIONS — Former Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi went before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with his heartbreaking story and a simple plea: "Bring them all home now." Sharabi has been free for less than six weeks, but in that time, he has already advocated for the hostages and spoken with world leaders about the plight of those still languishing in Hamas' hands. "On Oct. 7, my heaven turned to hell," Sharabi, who was taken from Kibbutz Be'eri, recalled. "Sirens began, Hamas terrorists invaded and I was ripped away from my family, never to see them again." Kibbutz Be'eri saw some of the worst of the Oct. 7 massacre. More than 100 of its residents were murdered, and 30 were taken hostage during the attacks, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Among those killed were Sharabi's wife and two daughters. He only learned of their murders when he returned from Gaza. Freed Israeli Hostage Speaks For The First Time About His 505 Days Of Surviving Hamas Hell "Then I arrived home. They told me my mother and sister were waiting for me. I said, 'Get me my wife and daughters.' And that was when I knew. They were gone. They had been murdered," Sharabi told the council. Sharabi's brother, Yossi, was also taken hostage but was killed in captivity. His body is still in Gaza. Read On The Fox News App When Sharabi was released Feb. 8 alongside Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, the world noticed that all three men looked gaunt. At the time, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said it was "what a crime against humanity looks like." President Donald Trump said the men "looked like Holocaust survivors" and seemed to be "in horrible condition." Sharabi told the council that when he got back to Israel after spending 491 days in Hamas captivity, he weighed just 44 kilograms (97 pounds). He spoke about the pain of starvation and how, through the beatings — including one so severe his ribs were broken — he was consumed by hunger. Sharabi testified that he was only given a pita a day and would be forced to beg for extra food. That was when he told the council where the U.N. humanitarian aid was going. Former Hamas Hostage Briefs Un Security Council On The 'Pure Hell' That Was Captivity In Gaza "I know that you discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza very often. But let me tell you, as an eyewitness, I saw what happened to that aid. Hamas stole it," Sharabi said. "I saw Hamas terrorists carrying boxes with the U.N. and UNRWA emblems on them into the tunnel. Dozens and dozens of boxes, paid by your governments, feeding terrorists who tortured me and murdered my family." Many hostages who have returned say Hamas would eat in front of them as torture, never giving any food to the captives. "When you speak of humanitarian aid, remember this: Hamas eats like kings while hostages starve. Hamas steals from civilians. Hamas blocks aid from reaching those who truly need it," Sharabi told the council. Sharabi also slammed the U.N., the Red Cross and the world for their silence and inaction. "Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?" he asked. Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon echoed this point, saying the security council "erased the hostages" and failed to mention "the humanitarian crimes Hamas is deliberately inflicting on the hostages." Danon then accused the "entire U.N. system" of abandoning its responsibility and the hostages. Danon emphasized the war would not end until the remaining hostages were returned home. Sharabi concluded his remarks with one demand. "Bring them all home. No more excuses. No more delays. If you stand for humanity — prove it. Bring them home," he article source: Freed Israeli hostage tells UN, 'No more excuses,' says aid is feeding terrorists
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli hostage freed after 491 days asks: Where was the United Nations, the Red Cross, the world?
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, who was beaten, chained and starved while held for 491 days by Hamas, expressed his anger during an appearance at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday for having to suffer for so long and worry every day about being killed. 'Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?' Sharabi asked. He challenged the U.N.'s most powerful body: 'If you stand for humanity prove it" by bringing home the 59 hostages still in Gaza, many of whom are believed to be dead. The fate of the remaining hostages became more uncertain after Israel on Tuesday ended a six-week break in the fighting that had allowed for the return of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Sharabi said the council talked about the need to get humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, but he saw Hamas militants eating stolen food from dozens of boxes marked with U.N. emblems while the hostages starved. They were given maybe a piece of pita and a sip of tea a day, and an occasional dry date, he said. When he was released on Feb. 8, Sharabi said he weighed 44 kilos (about 97 pounds) — less than the weight of his youngest daughter, who was killed along with his wife and older daughter in Hamas' surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, along with about 1,200 others. He was among 251 people taken hostage. The United States in November vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza because it was not linked to an immediate release of the hostages. The Palestinians and their supporters then went to the 193-member General Assembly, which adopted a resolution in December demanding a ceasefire and reiterating its demand for the release of the hostages. Unlike Security Council resolutions, though, those passed by the General Assembly are nonbinding. The ceasefire that went into effect in January was shattered on Tuesday with surprise airstrikes on Gaza that killed more than 400 Palestinians, one of the highest death tolls in the nearly 18-month war. Gaza's Health Ministry said most victims were women and children. Sharabi's appearance before the council, the second by a freed hostage, followed an Israeli request last week for a meeting on the plight of the hostages. Britain's deputy ambassador James Kariuki called Sharabi's suffering 'beyond the imagination' and said 'Hamas must be held accountable for their despicable actions.' But Kariuki also said the U.K. condemns Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's 'warning of the total destruction of Gaza.' Britain calls for the rapid resurgence of aid to Gaza, an investigation into allegations of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces, and an urgent return to the ceasefire deal, he said. France's new U.N. ambassador, Jérôme Bonnafont, expressed his country's deepest condolences to Sharabi but also condemned the resumption of Israel's bombing, saying it will not ensure the release of hostages, and demanded an end to Israel's humanitarian blockade of Gaza. Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the council, 'Our hearts were filled with sorrow as we listened to the tragic story of Mr. Eli Sharabi,' adding 'such brutality can have no justification.' Polyansky criticized Israel's leaders for not moving to phase 2 of the ceasefire deal, which calls for the release of all hostages and a permanent end to the fighting. He said it's difficult to discuss the future when Israel's military and political leaders appear to have made the choice in favor of war. Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama, representing the Arab world on the council, called Sharabi a 'representative of civil society,' and said 'no civilian, irrespective of their background, should endure suffering.' He then accused Israel of 'cherry-picking' international law. He pointed to Israel's ban on humanitarian aid, fuel and electricity entering Gaza since March 2, its killing of civilians, and the cutoff of the International Committee of the Red Cross' access to over 9,500 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons since Oct. 7. After all council members spoke, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, sent 'our condolences' to Sharabi over the killing of his loved ones and his prolonged captivity. He said Palestinians 'understand this pain because we live it.' Sharabi made no mention of Israeli actions, except to say that on the morning of Oct. 7, when he heard that militants were inside Kibbutz Be'eri where he lived, he reassured his wife not to worry: 'The army will come, they always come.' That morning, they never came. He told the council he came to speak for 24-year-old Alon Ohel, a fellow hostage whom he left behind in the tunnel, and all others, including his older brother, Yossi, who was killed but whose body remains in Gaza. 'Bring them all home. Now!' Sharabi said.
Washington Post
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Israeli hostage freed after 491 days asks: Where was the United Nations, the Red Cross, the world?
UNITED NATIONS — Freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, who was beaten, chained and starved while held for 491 days by Hamas, expressed his anger during an appearance at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday for having to suffer for so long and worry every day about being killed. 'Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?' Sharabi asked.
The Hill
21-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Israeli hostage freed after 491 days asks: Where was the United Nations, the Red Cross, the world?
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, who was beaten, chained and starved while held for 491 days by Hamas, expressed his anger during an appearance at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday for having to suffer for so long and worry every day about being killed. 'Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?' Sharabi asked. He challenged the U.N.'s most powerful body: 'If you stand for humanity prove it' by bringing home the 59 hostages still in Gaza, many of whom are believed to be dead. The fate of the remaining hostages became more uncertain after Israel on Tuesday ended a six-week break in the fighting that had allowed for the return of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Sharabi said the council talked about the need to get humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, but he saw Hamas militants eating stolen food from dozens of boxes marked with U.N. emblems while the hostages starved. They were given maybe a piece of pita and a sip of tea a day, and an occasional dry date, he said. When he was released on Feb. 8, Sharabi said he weighed 44 kilos (about 97 pounds) — less than the weight of his youngest daughter, who was killed along with his wife and older daughter in Hamas' surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, along with about 1,200 others. He was among 251 people taken hostage. The United States in November vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza because it was not linked to an immediate release of the hostages. The Palestinians and their supporters then went to the 193-member General Assembly, which adopted a resolution in December demanding a ceasefire and reiterating its demand for the release of the hostages. Unlike Security Council resolutions, though, those passed by the General Assembly are nonbinding. The ceasefire that went into effect in January was shattered on Tuesday with surprise airstrikes on Gaza that killed more than 400 Palestinians, one of the highest death tolls in the nearly 18-month war. Gaza's Health Ministry said most victims were women and children. Sharabi's appearance before the council, the second by a freed hostage, followed an Israeli request last week for a meeting on the plight of the hostages. Britain's deputy ambassador James Kariuki called Sharabi's suffering 'beyond the imagination' and said 'Hamas must be held accountable for their despicable actions.' But Kariuki also said the U.K. condemns Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's 'warning of the total destruction of Gaza.' Britain calls for the rapid resurgence of aid to Gaza, an investigation into allegations of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces, and an urgent return to the ceasefire deal, he said. France's new U.N. ambassador, Jérôme Bonnafont, expressed his country's deepest condolences to Sharabi but also condemned the resumption of Israel's bombing, saying it will not ensure the release of hostages, and demanded an end to Israel's humanitarian blockade of Gaza. Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the council, 'Our hearts were filled with sorrow as we listened to the tragic story of Mr. Eli Sharabi,' adding 'such brutality can have no justification.' Polyansky criticized Israel's leaders for not moving to phase 2 of the ceasefire deal, which calls for the release of all hostages and a permanent end to the fighting. He said it's difficult to discuss the future when Israel's military and political leaders appear to have made the choice in favor of war. Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama, representing the Arab world on the council, called Sharabi a 'representative of civil society,' and said 'no civilian, irrespective of their background, should endure suffering.' He then accused Israel of 'cherry-picking' international law. He pointed to Israel's ban on humanitarian aid, fuel and electricity entering Gaza since March 2, its killing of civilians, and the cutoff of the International Committee of the Red Cross' access to over 9,500 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons since Oct. 7. After all council members spoke, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, sent 'our condolences' to Sharabi over the killing of his loved ones and his prolonged captivity. He said Palestinians 'understand this pain because we live it.' Sharabi made no mention of Israeli actions, except to say that on the morning of Oct. 7, when he heard that militants were inside Kibbutz Be'eri where he lived, he reassured his wife not to worry: 'The army will come, they always come.' That morning, they never came. He told the council he came to speak for 24-year-old Alon Ohel, a fellow hostage whom he left behind in the tunnel, and all others, including his older brother, Yossi, who was killed but whose body remains in Gaza. 'Bring them all home. Now!' Sharabi said.
